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Opinion of these Lennox systems

I'm having 2 Lennox central units installed in my house today and was hoping someone here could would offer up an opinion on them.

The house is 2900 sq ft, 1250 upstairs, 1650 down. The lower level is built into a hillside, below ground at the back and both sides. I've always had a difficult time with humidity downstairs. It's has always been very easy to cool, but very uncomfortable because of the humidity. Upstairs has been the opposite, humidity not a problem, but the old 2 ton unit for upstairs, a 25 year old Lennox, ran constantly and struggled to reach 75 degrees indoors. Location is central Oklahoma.

I'll check again on ARI site for the SEER. Had a problem I guess matching the components when I tried it earlier, but I'll give it another shot.

The units are both running now. The upstairs unit is running 83 degree air at a return grill and 64 degree at a supply register. It's been running for about 45 minutes. Outside air temp today is around 95.

Downstairs unit is running 77 degrees at return and 64 at supply register.

1.I suggest you request the cooling BTU load in writing for both the upstairs and downstairs systems.
2.Based on your location and depending on electric rate and considering nat gas prices, for downstairs I do not like 80% eff furnace unless paired with matching heat pump.
3.I do not like a non var speed furnace for upstairs. I suggest a HP with var speed air handler.

Your downstairs cooled ok but had high humidity. So they put a bigger unit in to cool it faster and have higher humidity yet?

originally he quoted a 2.5 ton for downstairs. after we discussed the humidity issue he recommended a 2 ton, as I understood it, to run longer for dehumidification. Also I think there is dehumidification on cooling with the vari speed air handler and stat...

1.I suggest you request the cooling BTU load in writing for both the upstairs and downstairs systems.
2.Based on your location and depending on electric rate and considering nat gas prices, for downstairs I do not like 80% eff furnace unless paired with matching heat pump.
3.I do not like a non var speed furnace for upstairs. I suggest a HP with var speed air handler.

a few ideas.

IMO

Tigerdunes,

I'm not sure of the energy rates, I'll check and post when I can find them. I couldn't find the G50 furnace on the ARI site either which is why I asked about the SEER rating. I appreciate the info on the other unit and you checking this out for me. One thing, there is no TXV on the coil, it is piston/orifice. How does that impact the SEER?

I'll ask him tomorrow for the cooling btu load, in writing.

The heat load has always been light in this house, I assume because downstairs is below ground on 3 sides, plus the house is very well insulated and double pane low-e argon windows installed, etc...

thanks for the advice. I wish I knew of this site BEFORE I made the purchase. It would have been great to have at least enough information to have known what to ask.

Keep track of the downstairs humidty. If it gets higher, you'll end up with mold.
If you discover that the humidity is higher with the bigger downstairs unit this week, you may be able to get him to put a smaller unit in before it causes you too much trouble.

Keep track of the downstairs humidty. If it gets higher, you'll end up with mold.
If you discover that the humidity is higher with the bigger downstairs unit this week, you may be able to get him to put a smaller unit in before it causes you too much trouble.

Okay, we'll watch that.

I've got to have them come back out today and enable the humidity control via the installer settings as is it's currently off. Also I want a technician out to check over both systems. The installers, IMO, weren't technically qualified to start-up these systems. I was here with them during the start-up and never saw any indoor/outdoor temps checked, current measured, etc. If the company has a qualified tech, I want them to recheck and adjust both systems properly.

One thing, there is no TXV on the coil, it is piston/orifice. How does that impact the SEER?

The performance #s that Tiger quoted in Post #6 have "+TXV" which means that this system is ARI-rated with a TXV. Without a TXV, the system is not rated and you will not get the stated SEER/EER performance numbers.